Misarticulation Caused by Abnormal Lingual-Palatal Contact in Patients with Cleft Palate with Adequate Velopharyngeal Function

Abstract

Misarticulations produced by three patients with cleft palate (2 isolated cleft palate; 1 unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate) who attained adequate velopharyngeal function and normal palatal vault by early surgical repairs were examined using electropalatography (EPG) and sound spectrography (SG). Common characteristics of lingual-palatal contact in which the contact area was broader and/or was more posterior than normal were observed. These misarticulations can be divided into three types based on the direction of the breath emission: palatalized misarticulation (in which air passes along the midline of the palate), lateral misarticulation (in which air flows laterally through the occluded dental arch), and nasopharyngeal misarticulation (in which air flows out the nose). These three are considered to be similar to intractable posterior pattern of articulation in cleft palate patients previously reported. However, these types of misarticulations can be produced by cleft patients who have achieved adequate velopharyngeal function and normal palatal vault.